DoPT at the Grantmakers in the Arts Conference
In October 2025, Ignite Rural Program Director Holly Doll, alongside Leslie Parker and Emilya Cachapero, spoke on a keynote panel at the 2025 Grantmakers in the Arts Conference in Minneapolis, MN.
The keynote, moderated by Janera Solomon, was titled "Infrastructure to Meet this Moment: National Panel of Cultural Workers from Grassroots to Grasstops" where Holly shared her experience as an artist and community leader and what it can look like to build in care and trust into cultural work.
The panel called on the field to invest in artists, people, and places that keep the arts and cultural ecosystem alive.
Holly also presented in a breakout session titled "Radical Redistribution: No Strings Support Where It Is Needed Most" alongside DoPT's Ash Hanson and Springboard for the Art's Jun-Li Wang.
They spoke on appropriate approaches for moving money into rural communities and why trusting arts and cultural workers with "no strings attached" funding has more long-term value and sustaining power for equitable rural futures. Holly shared details on Ignite Rural and Waterers and how programs like those can help individuals unlearn capitalist narratives around worth and value.
Holly says: "I'm grateful I got to speak from my own lived experience in this space. While it was a bit intimidating, this opportunity showed me the value in my work and solidified my commitment to being a pillar of support to rural, BIPOC, and Native communities."
The GIA Conference provides the only opportunity for arts grantmakers from across the country to come together to share knowledge and ideas, develop collective strategies, and learn about the latest initiatives in arts grantmaking. The conference features plenary sessions by leaders in the field, peer-organized discussions and reports, panels investigating policies and practices in arts grantmaking, site visits, and artist-led sessions. GIA's conferences employ the unique arts and cultural resources of each host city to inform and illuminate topics in arts and cultural philanthropy.
Many thanks to GIA, Jun-Li, and Bao Phi for the photos.